Multicultural Services Centre of Western Australia (MSC) is WA’s oldest (1980), largest and most diversified multicultural services provider. MSC provides innovative services based on eliminating barriers experienced by the CaLD community. They provide services in the consumer’s preferred language and their 190+ service personnel, most of whom are bi/multilingual and fluent in more than 80 different languages. MSC has an active Consumer Forum and a Carers Forum, and audio messages in 14 languages on our website inviting feedback. 

MSC currently delivers services as an NDIS provider, aged care provider in the CHSP and HCP packages, emergency relief, community Housing and homelessness prevention services, mental health, jobs and skills Centre (incorporating the Local Jobs Project) and settlement services.

To address the issue of Family & Domestic Violence (FDV) in CaLD communities across WA and develop this community education program, the following organisations formed a consortium:

• Multicultural Services Centre of WA (MSCWA) as the lead agency 
• Ethnic Communities Council of WA (ECCWA); and
• Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Service

There haven’t been group-based FDV education/awareness-raising programs in WA for CALD communities focusing on engaging men/perpetrators. The Vimauna – Breaking the Silence training program was developed to enable and motivate CaLD individuals and community members to become change agents by acquiring the necessary tools and understanding to step in and address problematic behaviour and prevent violence against women in their communities. The project aim was to raise community awareness, to support, coach and encourage men in their journeys of change, & to address needs in their lives that inhibit the change process or their participation in the program.

The Vimauna project works with FDV practitioners and the CaLD community to combine strength, capacity, and resources for greater impact, leaders to break the silence surrounding FDV in different cultures, bring grassroots issues into the public arena, and coordinate action to reform and improve the service system.

An independent evaluator evaluated the project, and a detailed report was submitted. From the report, it is very evident that the Vimauna project was able to break the silence by getting the male members of the community to talk about the root causes of violence in their communities; they were able to question gender structures and norms, and imbalances of social power, as well as their own values, assumptions, and prejudices. 

Vimauna – Breaking the Silence is the beginning of a life-long process of individual and collective transformation. They hope that the funding continues, and they can utilise and build on all the creative resources developed and train more practitioners to prevent family violence and violence against women. 

To find out more about Multicultural Services Centre of Western Australia, visit mscwa.com.au